Blood Tube Collection Processing

Trade Agreement: WTO-AGP/NAFTA/AIT/Canada FTAs with Peru/Colombia/Panama Tendering Procedures: Non-Competitive Procurement Strategy: Exclusive Rights Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement: No Vendor Name and Address: Battelle Memorial Institute 505 King Avenue Columbus Ohio United States 43201 Nature of Requirements: ADVANCE CONTRACT AWARD NOTICE

Statistics Canada has a requirement for blood collection tube processing as specified under "Background" below. The purpose of this Advance Contract Award Notice (ACAN) is to signal the government's intention to award a Contract for these services to preselected supplier: Battelle Memorial Institute. Before awarding a Contract, the government would like to provide other suppliers with the opportunity to demonstrate that they are capable of satisfying the requirements set out in the ACAN, by submitting a statement of capabilities during the 16 calendar day posting period.

If other potential suppliers submit a statement of capabilities during the 16 calendar day posting period that meet the requirements set out in the ACAN, the government may proceed to a full tendering process on either the government's electronic tendering service or through traditional means, in order to award the Contract.

If no other supplier submits, on or before the closing date, a statement of capabilities meeting the requirements set out in the ACAN, a Contract will be awarded to the preselected supplier.

Background

The Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS) collects its data through personal interviews at two of Statistics Canada's mobile clinics (virtual regional offices). Each mobile clinic is used for collecting survey data for six weeks per location; the mobile clinic is at each location for approximately 10 weeks: three weeks for set-up and calibration, six weeks of collection, one week for tear-down. Only one mobile clinic is used at a time and Statistics Canada personnel move from mobile clinic to mobile clinic. As part of the content development for the fifth and sixth collection cycle, there are measures of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) found in water and biological specimens. A similar study is being conducted by a US counterpart, the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This aspect of the survey was introduced to the CHMS for the third collection cycle which began in January 2012. A similar process will be required for the fifth and sixth cycle which will begin in January 2016.

Objectives

The overall objective is to process 7,000 blood collection tubes (ThermoFisher Scientific, Kendall monoject 5 mL, grey top) in accordance with the CDC Protocol for Treatment of Vacutainers for VOC Analysis ("the CDC protocol"), dated November 11, 2010. The CDC protocol will be provided to the Contractor within 10 calendar days of Contract award. The Contractor must: Process the Kendall blood collection tubes in accordance with the CDC protocol in lots of ~400 tubes each three times a year and one at award of the contract; For each lot processed, send a single shipment of randomly chosen Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) tubes to Statistics Canada within one week of the 25th day of the heated vacuum extraction; Perform the final step of the CDC protocol, heated vacuum extraction, for a minimum of 25 calendar days up to a maximum of 45 calendar days; and Ship each completed lot to Statistics Canada no later than one week after the maximum heated vacuum extraction period.

Tasks/Deliverables

The Contractor must use the following dedicated equipment provided by Statistics Canada: two vacuum ovens (0.02m?), two scroll pumps (100 L/min, 0.05 Torr), extraction glassware (three complete sets), heating mantles and specialized oven shelving.

Statistics Canada will provide to the Contractor within 15 calendar days of Contract award, the unprocessed Kendall blood collection tubes and the consumable items required to process the 7,000 blood collection tubes (i.e., high purity solvents and gases).

The Contractor must process and ship 7,000 tubes to Statistics Canada, by batches of about 400 tubes three times a year and one batch at the award of the contract, over the duration of the Contract. Kendall blood collection tubes must be processed in accordance with the CDC protocol. The Contractor must not determine the level of VOC contamination in the blood collection tubes, either before or after they have been processed following the CDC protocol. The Contractor must verify that an acceptable vacuum has been established on a small subset, at least 2% of the total number of tubes in the lot, of blood collection tubes from each lot.

The Contractor must prepare an Interim Report that collates and summarizes the progress made.

The Contractor must prepare a final report that collates and summarizes the tube processing completed.

Applicability of the Trade Agreements to the Procurement

This procurement is subject to the following trade agreements: the Agreement on Internal Trade (AIT), the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the World Trade Organization Agreement on Government Procurement (WTO-AGP).

Justification for the Pre-Identified Supplier

The pre-identified supplier is the only supplier capable of meeting the government's requirements, the pre-identified supplier has exclusive permission to use the proprietary method developed by the CDC to clean any VOC contamination from commercial blood collection tubes.

Government Contracts Regulations Exception

The following exception to the Government Contracts Regulations is invoked for this procurement under subsection 6(d) only one person is capable of performing the contract (http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/SOR-87-402/page-2 .html#h-6).

Limited Tendering Reasons

The following limited tendering reasons are invoked under

AIT - Article 506, paragraph 12(a) (http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/ait-aci.nsf/eng/il00006.html#G).

NAFTA - Article 1016, paragraph 2(b) (https://www.nafta-sec-alena.org/Home/Legal-Texts/North-American- Free-Trade-Agreement?mvid=1&secid=a550e516-c181-49fc-9176-76db29b 2969b#A1016).

WTO-AGP - Article XV, paragraph 1(b) (https://www.wto.org/english/docs_e/legal_e/gpr-94_02_e.htm#artic leXV).

Ownership of Intellectual Property

Without affecting any existing intellectual property rights or relating to information or data supplied by Canada for purposes of the Contract, copyright in anything conceived, developed, or produced as part of the Work under the Contract will belong to the Contractor. The Contractor grants to Canada a non-exclusive, perpetual, irrevocable, world-wide, fully-paid and royalty-free license to exercise all rights comprised in the copyright in the Material, for any government purposes.

Period of the Proposed Contract

The proposed contract is for a period of four years from date of Contract.

Name and Address of the Pre-identified Supplier

Battelle Memorial Institute 505 King Avenue Columbus, Ohio 43201 United States

Suppliers' Right to Submit a Statement of Capabilities

Suppliers who consider themselves fully qualified and available to provide the services described in the ACAN may submit a statement of capabilities in writing by e-mail, as an attachment in either Microsoft Word or Portable Document Format (PDF) to the contact person identified in this notice on or before the closing date of this notice. The statement of capabilities must clearly demonstrate how the supplier meets the advertised requirements.

Closing Date for a Submission of a Statement of Capabilities

The closing date and time for accepting statements of capabilities is October 16, 2015 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time.

Inquiries and Submission of Statements of Capabilities

Inquiries and statements of capabilities are to be directed to

Diane Reynolds Supply Specialist Public Works and Government Services Canada Acquisitions Branch Professional Services Procurement Directorate Place du Portage, Phase III, 10C1 11 Laurier Street, Gatineau, Quebec, K1A 0S5 Telephone: 819-956-1141 Facsimile: 819-956-9235 E-mail: Diane.Reynolds@tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca

Delivery Date: Above-mentioned

You are hereby notified that the government intends to negotiate with one firm only as identified above. Should you have any questions concerning this requirement, contact the contracting officer identified above.

An Advance Contract Award Notice (ACAN) allows departments and agencies to post a notice, for no less than fifteen (15) calendar days, indicating to the supplier community that it intends to award a good, service or construction contract to a pre-identified contractor. If no other supplier submits, on or before the closing date, a Statement of Capabilities that meets the requirements set out in the ACAN, the contracting authority may then proceed with the award. However, should a Statement of Capabilities be found to meet the requirements set out in the ACAN, then the contracting authority will proceed to a full tendering process.

Suppliers who consider themselves fully qualified and available to provide the services/goods described herein, may submit a statement of capabilities in writing to the contact person identified in this Notice on or before the closing date of this Notice. The statement of capabilities must clearly demonstrate how the supplier meets the advertised requirements.

The PWGSC file number, the contracting officer's name and the closing date of the ACAN must appear on the outside of the envelope in block letters or, in the case of a facsimile transmission, on the covering page.

The Crown retains the right to negotiate with suppliers on any procurement.

Documents may be submitted in either official language of Canada.